34.5 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeEventsBlanchfield Army Community Hospital’s Warrior Transition Battalion to host Change of Command...

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital’s Warrior Transition Battalion to host Change of Command Ceremony

Blanchfield Army Hospital - BACH - Fort Campbell KYFort Campbell, KY – Lt. Col. Lyle (Chip) Finley, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital’s Warrior Transition Battalion Commander, is slated to change command with Lt. Col. Shawn D. Butler at 2:00pm March 23rd at the installation’s Passenger Processing Center.

Finley took charge of the WTB at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, July 10th, 2015. Finley is deactivating from his active duty reserve status and returning back to his home in North Carolina.

Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Campbell to hold Change of Command Ceremony March 23rd, 2017. (Sam Shore)
Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Campbell to hold Change of Command Ceremony March 23rd, 2017. (Sam Shore)

“Lt. Col. Finley is a leader who embodies the Army Values and Warrior Ethos in all his actions. He fostered a climate built on dignity and respect for all staff. He is an empathetic leader who genuinely cared for his team and his unwavering passion for Soldiers and their families was evident,” said BACH commander Col. Telita Crosland.

The WTB commander holds a unique and complex challenge, but a rewarding one, she added. The commander leads a multi-component Battalion with a dynamic Soldier population, each with complex rehabilitative needs. The leader must foster a command climate that maximizes the healing process of all Soldiers, directing action as necessary to ensure all standards of care are met, ensuring each Soldier accomplishes their mission to successfully heal and transition back into the force or into civilian life as a productive Veteran.

As the leader of the battalion, Finley focused on assisting Soldiers in improving their financial well-being and oversaw a significant reduction in the processing time for commanders to submit applications for Soldiers to be assessed, determining if they met the criteria to be eligible to be assigned to the WTB.

“Lt. Col. Finley provided exceptional leadership to the battalion who worked collaboratively to offer compassionate and effective management of Fort Campbell’s most complex and high risk warriors,” Crosland said.

During Finley’s leadership, he oversaw the transition of 327 Soldiers either back to the operational force or to civilian life.

“His insight and candid feedback was instrumental in the establishment of a Community Care Unit that supports 22 Soldiers in transition across six states,” Crosland said.

Lt. Col. Shawn Butler comes to Fort Campbell’s WTB after serving as the chief of Operations in the Rapid Equipping Force, a U.S. Army organization designed to increase the rate of innovation to put the U.S. in a position of advantage and works with units deployed worldwide. Butler has served in varying capacities throughout his Army career.

He began his career as a battery fire direction officer, company fire support officer and platoon leader while assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Stewart, Georgia. Butler deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq in support of U.S. Forces Iraq Headquarters, and Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

He served at various locations in recruitment and operations to include Fort Sill, Oklahoma; III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; and Department of Army Headquarters. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Management and Leadership.  

“With Lt. Col. Butler’s deployment, operational and recruitment experience, I am confident that he will maintain compassionate and competent leadership, just as the previous leaders’ have provided this multi-component battalion with unique medical needs at Fort Campbell. We welcome Lt. Col. Butler and his family to BACH and Fort Campbell.”

RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles